The invention relates generally to packaging, and more particularly to a package employing one or more peelable seals to facilitate opening.
One prior art packaging operation that has been used commercially for bulky products such as stacks of sliced cheese or blocks of cheese involves orienting a web of laminated polymeric material horizontally, placing product on the web, wrapping the web upward around both sides of the product, bringing the longitudinal edges together to form a longitudinal fin seal, and subsequently sealing the ends and cutting the finished package from the web. Gas flush techniques may be employed to eliminate oxygen from the package interior. Such an operation is illustrated in the context of packaging for blocks or chunks of cheese in U.S. Pat. No. 3,274,746.
Another known packaging apparatus functions in a manner generally similar to that described above, except that the web is positioned above the product and wrapped downward around the product to form the fin seal beneath the product.
In recent years, there has been increased demand for packaging that may be easily opened by a consumer without the need for a cutting implement such as a knife or scissors, and which may be reclosed and reopened one or more times. There have been numerous proposals for provision of easy-open features to facilitate opening of food packages. Some such proposals have involved provision of areas of weakness to enable a marginal portion of the package to be torn along a line. Other packages have a peelable seal along a seam of package.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,740,237 discloses a peelable, resealable bond in a wiener package. U.S. Pat. No. 5,012,928 discloses a package for cheese slices comprising a tray with a lid or cover attached thereto by a hinge. U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,571, No. 3,249,288 and No. 4,663,915 disclose further examples of reclosable packages for food products.
There is a continuing need for improvement in easy-open, reclosable packaging, particularly in the areas of ease of opening and reclosing, and cost.
It is a general object of the invention to provide an improved reclosable package for sliced food products which has one or more peelable seals to facilitate opening and reclosing thereof, and which is sufficiently economical to be suitable for commercial use in packaging of products for consumer sale. Further objects and advantages of the invention are set forth below.